Blog Post #2: Faith
There is much quality information afforded to us in TED Talks, but “Is religion good or bad?” (2014), which includes many inaccuracies, has little to offer. Its position on what we mean by the term ‘religion’ seems an unnecessary distraction: what I feel is more pertinent to our needs is to recognise that some people subscribe to a set of beliefs and teachings that establishes a relationship between themselves and something supernatural or metaphysical, which determines to some degree how they view the world and their place in it.
The issue of religion and science is mentioned (7:40) and raises the difficulties of how writings by Darwin and others went against accepted beliefs in a Christian society. However, I believe this dichotomy between religion and science is not as great as often perceived: some of a scientific or empirical mindset would likely have more points to contest with a flat-earther than with someone adhering to a recognised religion.
Likewise, the blogpost of Jawad (2022) also disappoints. I can see value in its apologetic* intent of combating widely held views of the (inferior) place of women within Islam and within Muslim communities; there is interesting information on Quranic teaching regarding a level of equality (including equality of opportunity) between men and women and between boys and girls. The point of failure for me is the use of the phrase ‘the Prophet’. Why is this so problematic? As a Christian I do not regard Mohammed to be a prophet. I have no issue with the phrase ‘the prophet of Islam’, or something similar, because that is a statement of fact, and I’m certainly not interested is derogatory talk directed to Mohammed. If the intended audience is Muslims, then the term used is appropriate, but it is clear from the final paragraphs that the audience is both Muslim and non-Muslim. Such writing does not befit someone of Jawad’s academic credentials.
By contrast, Rekis offers more useful input. At one level she points out that, in a secularised society, followers of a faith can find their ‘testimony’ to be deemed less reliable, and she adopts the term ‘epistemic injustice’ to describe this eventuality (2023, p. 780). Rekis goes on to state that
It is secularism that ultimately marginalises religion, either fostering real or anticipated negative prejudices against religious adherents
(p. 782)
It is also noted – and in a Western academic context – that followers of a minority religion tend to be more affected by this injustice (pp. 782-3).
Rekis makes an interesting point that stereotyping is not always bad: when it “reduces people to one aspect of their identity” it is a negative, as is when it is prejudicial, but she also points out that it can be helpful when it is used to form “reliable assumptions about our interlocutor” (p. 785). What I believe should be noted here though is this context consists of direct communication, or interlocution, with someone, rather than lazy stereotyping of someone at a distance.
In general, I do not believe that I am guilty of gross generalisations towards holders of a faith, and neither do I judge their intellect on this basis. As a Christian I do have strongly held views (as expressed above with the term ‘the Prophet’); but I also understand that a person’s faith is as important to them as mine is to me, and I wouldn’t wish to have my faith disparaged or used to judge other aspects of my character.
550 words
*apologetic in its meaning of providing a defence of a religious belief
Resources
Jawad, H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/ (Accessed: 15 May 2024).
Reki, J. (2023) ‘Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account’, Hypatia 38, pp. 779–800. https://doi.org/10.1017/hyp.2023.86 (Accessed 17 May 2024).
TED (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). 16 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY (Accessed: 15 May 2024).